| EU Aarhus Centre |
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28 April 2011 | Press release Visit the European Union Aarhus Centre website The Centre’s objective is to promote full and effective implementation of the Aarhus Convention, an international convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice, throughout European Union institutions, bodies and agencies. The Aarhus Centre will support the development and enforcement of these rights by providing training and advice, monitoring the practices of EU institutions, bodies and agencies and creating a space for dialogue between NGOs and the EU. Aarhus committee rules EU must improve citizens’ access to courts The EU Aarhus centre is being established at the same time as the UN Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee upholds ClientEarth’s case and calls on the EU to open the doors of its courts to citizens and NGOs in environmental cases. In a case brought by ClientEarth the committee has ruled that the European courts must allow citizens and groups to challenge decisions made by the European institutions under the Aarhus Convention. Until now, not one citizen or NGO has ever been granted standing in the EU courts to challenge decisions made by the European institutions on environmental grounds. James Thornton, ClientEarth CEO, says: “For the EU institutions, promoting an open society and ensuring good governance are essential principles recognised in law but not fully realised in practice. “The Aarhus Compliance Committee’s recommendations send a clear signal to the institutions that change is overdue. ClientEarth’s Aarhus Centre will provide environmental organisations with the tools they need to make the most of their legal opportunities. We hope the institutions will welcome the centre as a new stakeholder and take advantage of its expertise when forging future legislation.” Ludwig Kramer, senior counsel at ClientEarth, says: “The European institutions have solemnly adopted principles on good governance which are, among others, openness, transparency and accountability. Full compliance with the letter and the spirit of the Aarhus Convention will be the best means to making these principles operational in the environmental sector. “ClientEarth’s Aarhus Centre aims to assist European citizens and environmental organisations in obtaining access to environmental information held by EU institutions and bodies, and to better participate in EU decision-making. It will support efforts to engage with these institutions and bodies. It will offer training and guidance on how to ask for environmental information and participation. Ultimately, greater transparency and better practices will result in better environmental outcomes.” ENDS
The UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters was adopted on 25th June 1998 in the Danish city of Aarhus at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in the 'Environment for Europe' process. The Aarhus Convention is a new kind of environmental agreement. The Convention: • Links environmental rights and human rights |
